Virtual Make Up: Geeky Beauty Secret Revealed

Ever purchase a new tube of lipstick which looks sexy on display in the store, but once you try it on at home it looks horrendous? Well in Tokyo, Shiseido just launched with partners to create a virtual make-up simulator on a trial basis.
The make-up simulator works by showing the customer's face on the computer screen and taking a picture. They then proceed to apply make-up while touching on-screen tags to show instant application results. These tags also provide information about the products, including ingredients and what skin type they are suited to.

I actually pretty much gave up make up because everything I bought usually looked hideous on me. After awhile, I just decided it wasn't worth the hassle of finding the right colors and just gave up on it. I'd LOVE to see these in the USA.

Sephora could use this. I love it there, but I'd hate to be disappointed to shell out $$ for a product I end up not liking. I just went to Wal*Mart and I got a $5 shade of CoverGirl lip color that I am not crazy about either. I wish I had this simulator there at that moment too!

It seems like a good idea, don't know how well it will work.
I'm surprised that a sales department woudl approve this kind of idea - if you buy the wrong stuff, don't you have to go back to purchase the right stuff, thus selling more items?

I agree, Tina! I *need* this. I don't experiment w/ make-up b/c it's too costly. But if I could see a rough approximation of how something would look in the store, I might try to wear make-up again (besides my BE mineral veil and foundation!).

I love this. I like how it picks out your colors. Thats usually the hardest part -knowing which color will flatter you. I know more often then not the reason I wont use a cosmetic that I bought was because it didnt flatter me when I got home. This hopefully will eliminate such mistakes (bad for the vendor-because then I wont have to go back and buy a new one!:)
But who knows if this will be successful? Remember when they had those computer programs that would show you what you would look like witha certain haircut? It just didnt work. People didnt bother. And what about those makeover programs for your home computer? i found them to bothersome to use..I think at the end of the day women like regular old trial and error...